


Five Seconds

by allywonderland



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Gen, Tahno is an angst bucket, post losing bending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-23
Updated: 2012-05-23
Packaged: 2017-11-05 20:58:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/410952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allywonderland/pseuds/allywonderland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Spoilers for episode 7, "The Aftermath") Tahno's stream of consciousness when he sees Korra at the police station.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Seconds

In the five seconds between when he sees her and when he speaks to her, a war goes on in his head.

He could ignore her, remain silent in the background and watch her gaze slide over and off him and not stick, like oil running off of glass, but there was still the off chance that she _would_ see him and be the first to speak.  And his pride, however shattered, couldn’t handle that.

He could snap, lash out, and drive all his anger into her because she’s the Avatar, she should have done something, she has a duty to the people of Republic City and the world to protect them and maintain balance, but he finds that the boiling depths his anger is usually summoned from have been left depleted.

He could sneak away and risk her seeing, yet more humiliation that he couldn’t handle.

He could run, flee the police headquarters and abscond from the official interview, run to Ming, to Shaozu, flee the obligations that he himself agreed to, but they would only come looking for him with even harsher words than before, no sympathy left for the washed out cheater of a Pro-Bender.

He could beg her forgiveness, explain why they made the decision to fight dirty, that they hadn't paid the refs off.  That they were legitimately frightened, unhinged, afraid of losing their title, and it was causing discomfort in his team.  They fought.  They were angry at each other.  They _never_ fought.  So when Shaozu received a random tip from a fan he could barely remember the face of, a tip saying the referees would play in their favour no matter what they did, they decided to take the chance, he would tell her, tell her the whole roiling story.  But none of it mattered any more.

He could throw himself at her feet and break down all over again.

He could, if he still could, call up the seas to come roaring to his command and end everything.

He could let it all torrent out.

But in the end there’s really only one option.

So he says, “Hey, Korra."


End file.
